Media centre

Tuesday 4 Apr 2017

Aylesbury level crossing closed after repeated deliberate misuse

Region & Route:

| North West & Central

Penn Road footpath level crossing in Aylesbury has been closed, helping to make the railway in the town safer for local people.

The decision to close the crossing was made after repeated examples of deliberate misuse were recorded. There is also no legal public right of way over it, meaning there isn’t a legal requirement for it to remain open.

Working with Buckinghamshire County Council, Network Rail closed the crossing last month. Before the crossing was permanently shut, Network Rail’s level crossing team helped raise safety awareness in the surrounding area and gave local people advice on the nearest location to cross the railway.

Ben Parish, route level crossing manager at Network Rail, said: "We are committed to improving safety at level crossings across the network and the safest crossing is a closed one. Penn Road has no legal right of way over it, which coupled with the recorded misuse, means we have been able to work with Buckinghamshire County Council to close it. The closure means a short detour to cross the railway but the community will be safer as a result which is our number one priority.”

Mark Kemp, Buckinghamshire County Council's director for growth, strategy and highways, said: "We do understand that any change to routine journeys will take some getting used to, however, people's safety is our overarching concern and we've worked closely with Network Rail to make sure this area is safe.”

The closure is part of an ongoing national campaign to close level crossings and make the railway safer for members of the public.

Network Rail has closed two other crossings in Aylesbury in 2017, helping improve safety in the town around the railway. Old Stoke Road and Griffin Lane level crossings, and now Penn Road, were all identified for closure after evidence was gathered showing repeated deliberate misuse.

To find out more about level crossings visit www.networkrail.co.uk/levelcrossings or call 03457 114 141.